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Boulder shooting victim met his alleged killer after accidentally being invited to same party, affidavit says

Louis Sebastian charged with first-degree murder in death of Christopher King

By Amelia Arvesen

Staff Writer

Posted:
06/01/2017 11:15:49 AM MDT

Updated:
06/02/2017 08:54:36 AM MDT

Louis Sebastian appears with his attorneys Jason Sharman and Alec Egizi, right, in court at the Boulder County Justice Center on Thursday. Sebastian was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Christopher King at Bramble & Hare just after midnight Monday. (Paul Aiken / Staff Photographer)

After hearing two bursts of gunfire outside, a woman dining at Boulder's Bramble & Hare watched a man fall backward into the restaurant, then scoot away from the door on his buttocks as another man followed him in, raising a handgun at the wounded man.

The man on the floor pleaded with the shooter to stop, but the suspect didn't, and fired again — striking the victim in the chest, directly in front of the woman's table.

That account, relayed by a diner to Boulder police, is included in a seven-page arrest warrant affidavit released Thursday after Louis Joseph Sebastian, 32, was charged with first-degree murder in the Memorial Day shooting death of Christopher Bayley King, 49, at the farm-to-table restaurant just off the Pearl Street Mall.

King and his alleged killer had met only hours before the shooting at a house party to which King accidentally had been invited, according to the affidavit.

Sebastian, who was subdued and disarmed by the restaurant's staff, told police he acted in self-defense, according to the affidavit.

During a swift court hearing Thursday at the Boulder County Justice Center, Sebastian also was charged with illegally carrying a concealed weapon. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Aug. 7.

Accidental party guest

According to the arrest affidavit, Sebastian and King were both invited by different people to a party of about 15 people on Sunday evening.

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Leah Akin, one of the hosts, said she invited King via text message accidentally, thinking she was inviting a female friend of the same name. According to the affidavit, she told police she and King had "hooked up" on several occasions, and she welcomed him to the party when he arrived.

The other host, Gary Reeves, invited Sebastian, who he said he had known for a year, but who he said made him uncomfortable because he often talked about "interactions with the 'mob.'"

Other party guests told police Sebastian also made them uncomfortable.

Throughout the night, according to the affidavit, Sebastian was flirting with and kissing Akin, and told another partygoer that "he believed men needed to be macho and aggressive to win over the attention and affection of women, and that he planned to win over Akin's affection."

Between 9 and 10:30 p.m., the party headed to downtown Boulder for food and drinks. In a large booth at Bramble & Hare, 1970 13th St., witnesses said Sebastian and King were arguing over politics across the table.

Reeves told police he heard King make a belittling comment to Sebastian, who was being aggressive. He said he asked Sebastian to stop arguing because he was embarrassing him.

At one point, Sebastian suggested they take the argument outside, though King said it wasn't an appropriate time to be fighting, according to the affidavit.

Witnesses said Sebastian had drunk two shots of bourbon and King had ordered bottles of wine.

The two seemed to calm down during dinner, according to the affidavit, but became heated again when the bill came, since, as a table, the patrons were $100 short.

Volleys of gunfire

Shortly before midnight, King and Sebastian left the booth. One person said she only saw Sebastian leave, but Reeves and another woman told police both Sebastian and King discussed going outside to fight.

Soon after, witnesses said they heard two volleys of gunshots outside.

After witnesses said King fell back into the restaurant, and was shot again, the restaurant's chef, Brian Daniels, a former Marine, ran out of the kitchen and tackled and disarmed Sebastian, who fought and struggled.

Daniels told police he used the butt of the handgun to strike the suspect in the left eye. Sebastian had a black eye when appearing in court this week.

Daniels also told police he ran to his vehicle at 13th and Pine streets, secured the handgun in his center console, and drove back to the scene to tend to King with a "military-grade" first aid kit.

The restaurant's manager and bartender said once the suspect was subdued, Sebastian told him, "He attacked me, I'm done." Sebastian later told police he was acting in self-defense as the victim attacked him.

Shell casings, empty magazine

Boulder police, who were dispatched to the restaurant at 12:07 a.m. Monday, believe King was shot four times in the ribs, chest and shoulder, according to the affidavit.

A Sig Sauer compact semiautomatic 9mm handgun was collected from the scene, along with seven shell casings outside Bramble & Hare, and one inside the front door of the restaurant, and an empty magazine that holds seven rounds.

Reeves told police Sebastian previously had talked about his gun and how he was a proud gun owner, though Reeves said he was unaware he had the gun at the party on Sunday.

Sebastian has no prior criminal history, according to the affidavit.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Sebastian faces an automatic life sentence. Prosecutors could seek the death penalty, but Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett, an opponent of capital punishment, has never done that.

Jason Sharman and Alec Egizi, Sebastian's public defenders, declined to comment on the case.

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